Wednesday, July 16, 2014

The Grove Arcade

"It is generally conceded that the Arcade Building would do justice to a city many times the size of Asheville. It is by far the finest structure in the South and there are few, if any, finer in the entire country.”
— E.W. Grove, 1927

Now Mr. Grove may be a bit biased in his assessment of the Arcade, since he was the designer of the Arcade that bears his name.

"The Grove Arcade was the grand dream of E.W. Grove, a self-made millionaire who moved to Asheville in 1910. Grove understood that a successful city needed a vibrant downtown. In the early 1920′s, he began plans to build an elegant new building to enliven the downtown of the city he had come to love. He conceived of the Arcade as 'the most elegant building in America'—and as a new kind of retail center.

"Today, the ground level is filled with an exciting mix of galleries, shops and restaurants. The second floor is occupied by offices and the third through fifth floors house luxury apartments.

"Across the street, Grove’s Battery Park Hotel (below) was preserved on the outside, thanks to Federal tax credits, and was converted to apartments for the elderly in 1987.

Built in 1922, the Hotel was the first project in Grove’s attempt to re-make downtown Asheville. From an upstairs room, Grove oversaw the work of his masterpiece, the Arcade, before dying in 1927 with the project not yet complete.

"19th century arcades were designed as indoor cities that distilled the thrill of shopping and excluded weather, dirt, mobs and transportation.

"Skylights brought the outside in safely. The Grove Arcade, one of the last built, used glass which absorbs infrared and ultraviolet radiation.

"Spiral staircases were invented in the middle ages to make maximum use of space.

At the Arcade "...staircases were used for effect--adding to the see-and-be-seen psychology of the Arcade--while reserving square footage for the all-important store rentals.

"The imagery, spiral staircases, sloped floors, second level bridges and long vistas were designed to make shoppers feel that they were the kings and queens of what they survey.

"Grotesque are a form of decorative sculpture often found in or on Gothic structures. The term is used broadly for gargoyle, although traditionally a gargoyle serves as a drainage spout for rain water, while a grotesque can function solely as decoration. The term gargoyle is derived from the gurgling sound of water issuing from a spout. There are fifty grotesques flanking the North and South Arcades; these figures are ornamental, although you will see gargoyles along the exterior that do carry water.

"The Grove Arcade was marketed as the 'heart' of the city. Notice the heart tracery that appears along the exterior parapet. The heart-shape is actually a floral symbol, relating to the ivy leaf--an evergreen was associated with eternal love in medieval times" (grovearcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/GA_ArchitecturalTour).

The Arcade with a number of shops with entrances from the street and another series of shops with entrances from inside the Arcade doubled the number of businesses in the city block.

About Me

We are two retirees--Chuck, 64, and Kate, 63--who decided to travel the U.S. On June 13, 2008, we began our long-talked-about travels by heading south from our home in Pennsylvania in our Ford 550 and 38’ New Horizons fifth wheel.
Our travel aim is to meet people and go at least "knee-deep" into the culture of several communities. To learn what is important in the lives of the residents of the towns, villages, and farms of America is our primary interest.
When not learning about what people do, we will be (1) sampling the foods that help people do what needs to be done and (2) listening to the music of their culture.
A neighborhood joint or local hall serving liquid refreshment and featuring a jam session with local musicians . . . well, it just doesn't get any better.
We welcome comments, questions, or suggestions of people to meet, places to visit, and "don't miss" neighborhood joints for food and/or music. Drop us a note at chuckandkateschrader@gmail.com